Handbook of Information Security Management
(Publisher: CRC Press LLC)
Author(s): Hal Tipton and Micki Krause, Consulting Editors
ISBN: 0849399475
Publication Date: 01/01/98

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Physical and Environmental Protection

These are controls used to protect against a wide variety of physical and environmental threats and hazards, including deliberate intrusion, fire, natural hazards, and utility outages or breakdowns. Several areas come within the direct responsibility of the LAN/WAN personnel and security staff including adequate surge protection, battery backup power, room and cabinet locks, and possibly additional air-conditioning sources. Surge protection and backup power will be discussed in more detail.

Surge suppressors that protect stand-alone equipment may actually cause damage to computers and other peripherals in a network. Ordinary surge protectors and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) can actually divert dangerous electrical surges into network data lines and damage equipment connected to that network. Power surges are momentary increases in voltage of up to 6,000 volts in 110-volt power systems, making them dangerous to delicate electronic components and data as they search for paths to ground. Ordinary surge protectors simply divert surges from the hot line to the neutral and ground wires, where they are assumed to flow harmlessly to earth. The extract below summarizes this surge protection problem for networks.

> Computers interconnected by data lines present a whole new problem because network data lines use the powerline ground circuit for signal voltage reference. When a conventional surge protector diverts a surge to ground, the surge directly enters the data lines through the ground reference. This causes high surge voltages to appear across data lines between computers, and dangerous surge currents to flow in these data lines. TVSSs (Transient Voltage Surge Suppressors) based on conventional diversion designs should not be used for networked equipment. Surge protectors may contribute to LAN crashes by diverting surge pulses to ground, thereby contaminating the reference used by data cabling. To avoid having the ground wire act as a “back door” entry for surges to harm a computer’s low-voltage circuitry, network managers should consider powerline protection that (1) provides low let-through voltage, (2) does not use the safety ground as a surge sink and preserves it for its role as voltage reference, (3) attenuates the fast rise times of all surges, to avoid stray coupling into computer circuitry, and (4) intercepts all surge frequencies, including internally generated high-frequency surges.

The use of an UPS for battery/backup power can make the difference between a “hard or soft crash.” Hard crashes are the sudden loss of power and the concurrent loss of the system, including all data and work in progress in the servers’ random access memory (RAM). An UPS provides immediate backup power to permit an orderly shutdown or “soft crash” of the LAN, thus saving the data and work in progress. The UPS protecting the server should include software to alert the entire network of an imminent shutdown, permitting users to save their data. LAN servers should be protected by UPSs, and UPS surge protectors should avoid the “back door” entry problems described above.

Production and Input/Output Controls

These are controls over the proper handling, processing, storage, and disposal of input and output data and media, including locked storage of sensitive paper and electronic media, and proper disposal of materials (i.e., erasing/degaussing diskettes/tape and shredding sensitive paper material).

Audit and Variance Detection

These controls allow management to conduct an independent review of system records and activities in order to test for adequacy of system controls, and to detect and react to departures from established policies, rules, and procedures. Variance detection includes the use of system logs and audit trails to check for anomalies in the number of system accesses, types of accesses, or files accessed by users.

Hardware and System Software Maintenance Controls

These controls are used to monitor the installation of and updates to hardware and operating system and other system software to ensure that the software functions as expected and that an historical record is maintained of system changes. They may also be used to ensure that only authorized software is allowed on the system. These controls may include a hardware and system software configuration policy that grants managerial approval to modifications, then documents the changes. They may also include virus protection products.

Documentation

Documentation controls are in the form of descriptions of the hardware, software, and policies, standards, and procedures related to LAN security, and include vendor manuals, LAN procedural guidance, and contingency plans for emergency situations. They may also include network diagrams to depict all interconnected LANs/WANs and the safeguards in effect on the network devices.

Virus Safeguards

Virus safeguards include the good security practices cited above which include backup procedures, the use of only company approved software, and procedures for testing new software. All organizations should require a virus prevention and protection program, including the designation and training of a computer virus specialist and backup. Each LAN should be part of this program. More stringent policies should be considered as needed, such as:

  • Use of antivirus software to prevent, detect, and eradicate viruses;
  • Use of access controls to more carefully limit users;
  • Review of the security of other LANs before connecting;
  • Limiting of E-mail to nonexecutable files; and,
  • Use of call-back systems for dial-in lines.

Additionally, there are several other common-sense tips which reduce the exposure to computer viruses. If the software allows it, apply write-protect tabs to all program disks before installing new software. If it does not, write protect the disks immediately after installation. Also, do not install software without knowing where it has been. Where applicable, make executable files read-only. It won’t prevent virus infections, but it can help contain those that attack executable files (e.g., files that end in “.exe” or “.com”). Designating executable files as read-only is easier and more effective on a network, where system managers control read/write access to files. Finally, back up the files regularly. The only way to be sure the files will be around tomorrow is to back them up today.

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